A Little Thing Called Ambition
by Gila Draper
Summary: A few years after the fall of You-Know-Who, Vanetta Wood, Oliver's younger sister, applies for a job at the Ministry unaware of the insiders view she will get of the pompous, brooding Minister, Percy Weasly and how she helps him piece together his life.
1. Chapter 1: First Impressions Are Everyth...

Disclaimer and Author's Note: I don't own them, wish I did, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, this is the first chapter of a story I will be writing and I hope you enjoy this first installment as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please read and review, it doesn't take much time or effort and it helps me greatly. NO FLAMES. They don't help me write, they shut me down. Lastly, I don't know when I'll get chance to update by I'll try to as soon as I can.  
  
  
  
A Little Thing Called Ambition  
  
By Gila Draper  
  
Chapter 1: First Impression's Are Everything  
  
  
  
"Right then Miss, you'll be next to see the Minister. Going to be his new Personal Assistant are you? I must say, he scared the last five off fairly quickly. I hope you won't be as squeamish, eh?"  
  
Perkins laughed, ignoring the girl glowering at him mutinously. He continued chortling as he ushered a wisp of a girl through the labyrinth of Ministry cubicles to an ominous looking back office.  
  
Vanetta Wood glared at the old warlock. If he knew who she was he'd hush up. The younger sister of the Puddlemere Keeper, Oliver Wood, did not take a brushing over lightly. People just don't think sometimes, she thought with certain disgust. The little sister should be inclined to know that her big brother, world famous Quidditch player that he was, had won the World Cup last year.  
  
The old man with his grizzled beard prodded her to the door and instructed her to knock. Standing motionless, Vanetta stared at the big oak door. It seemed that it didn't want to be opened and normally she would be happy to oblige but she had an interview to go to.  
  
Steeling herself the inevitable knock, she reminded herself that her brother had spoken highly of the Minister, having gone to school with him. Vanetta vaguely recalled her brother's friend, the current Minister of Magic, at school. But then he had usually been hiding out in the library or his Common Room. Vanetta had been a Ravenclaw and had been at least four years younger than him so his last year had been her fourth year.  
  
Also she remembered that the general public DID like the Minister even though they had loathed him at the first for being a former Death Eater.  
  
He had helped with the rebuilding of the wizarding community after the grisly defeat of Lord Voldemort.  
  
But these days the Minister was a very imposing person, she recalled what her brother had said when she told him this. Or what he'd said after he'd stopped laughing.  
  
"Etta sweetie, that man may be a little changed after all he's been through, but Merlin as my witness, I'll be he's still the same little twerp I knew at Hogwarts." Then Oliver had patted her hand, smiling.  
  
While calling the Minister of Magic a twerp had been less than reassuring, Vanetta was comforted that her sibling had such faith in the man.  
  
Giving a resounding knock on the smooth oak Vanetta stepped back and sunk deeper in her thoughts.  
  
Meanwhile, as she was deep in her reverie, a group of curious Ministry witches and wizards had congregated around her, murmuring snide remarks about her young age and assumed inexperience.  
  
One wizard, Matthias Fudge, the son of their former Minister, ambled up to her and gave her his insulting two cents outright.  
  
"Don't know how a scrawny piece like you is going to keep up with the Minister."  
  
Vametta had a choice retort in mind when she saw Fudge with an odd pallor, looking over her shoulder with a fairly horrified expression.  
  
About to turn and see what had caused the abrupt change of mood she heard a cold, concise voice speak above and behind her, and she froze.  
  
"As much as I appreciate your faith in my abilities Mr. Fudge, I believe you have no right to be judging my choice of office help."  
  
The gossipy chatters that the crowd of employees had been emitting died completely in the entrance of their boss. All eyes were fixed on the man behind her and Vanetta felt distinctly uncomfortable and averted her eyes to the carpet, as though it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen.  
  
When his coworkers remained in their clustered formation that same voice, laced with arrogance, snapped, " you may all go back to your respective duties," and with that, they scattered, scurrying off to their cubicles.  
  
"Turn around girl. I have a great deal of work to get done and I still have to interview you," the man said in a more aloof voice than used previously.  
  
Slowly, as though about to face the very Fires of Hell, Vanetta turned, and stare. Whatever she had been expecting this certainly wasn't it.  
  
He was a tall, thin man with flaming red hair parted in the middle, a long pointed nose, and icy blue eyes framed with wire rimmed spectacles. He wasn't the man eating tiger some people made him out to be at all!  
  
Arms folded across his chest, which was covered by black robes, he glared at her. It was as though he was silently saying, and you disturbed my work, because? Her father was right, he was an over achiever.  
  
Mildly irritated and unaware of the girl's revelations, the Minister of Magic, Percy Weasly beckoned her over to a small blue chair opposite his desk, with a sharp and faintly pompous wave of his hand.  
  
Vanetta braced herself and stepped into the "lion's den". 


	2. Chapter 2: Family Connections

Disclaimer and Author's Note: Don't own them and yes, that's my final answer. This is turning into a very fun fic to write so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. (By the way, flashbacks will be interwoven throughout the story to clear up some points in the story, in case anything is confusing.)  
  
By the way, the chapters will get longer but I'm trying to get the stage set for the longer bits.  
  
Smiles, Gila : )  
  
1 A Little Thing Called Ambition  
  
1.1 By Gila Draper  
  
Chapter 2: Family Connections  
  
Percy scowled imperiously at the young who sat in front of him, dark brown hair pulled back, away from her face but resting on her shoulders and an idiotically earnest expression on her face.  
  
"You're applying for the position as my personal assistant, are you not?" Percy inquired, trying his best to sound impersonal.  
  
"Yes," the girl sounded faintly breathless, big brown eyes wide. "I've got a resume and recommendations, a-and a profile," in one trembling had she thrust a manila folder onto the desk, which he scooped up like a hawk.  
  
He opened the folder in one hand a shoved his spectacles up his nose with the other and began skimming the contents of the folder with mild interest.  
  
"Yes…yes…good," the man muttered to himself, though the praise seemed automatic. She could picture him muttering like this to every interviewee. Then she saw him do a startled double take.  
  
"You're related to Oliver Wood?"  
  
She nodded and was surprised to see him smile.  
  
"How is the old bloke? Haven't seen him in ages…I went to school with him you know," Percy told her with a knowing expression.  
  
"Yes, he told me. He's doing fine, did you see him at the World Cup last year?"  
  
Percy nodded, leaning against the edge of his desk, "kept on playing even after that daft Costa Rican Beater dislocated his shoulder with a Bludger. He always was a Quidditch fanatic." Weasly shook his head ruefully then quickly left his reminiscing and was all business once more.  
  
"Now, anyway, back to business. No use wasting good time," Percy declared briskly, going around to sit behind his desk, resting his elbows on it.  
  
If Oliver was a fanatic about Quidditch, Percy Weasly was a fanatic about work, reflected Vanetta.  
  
Percy's intense blue eyes roved over her critically. " Your recommendations speak very highly at you and I suppose you are qualified, OVER qualified in fact. You don't have any blots on any of the reports I got from Hogwarts, excellent N.E.W.T.S…But…" He trailed off, a slight pain flashing across his face. Then he started once again in a slightly husky voice.  
  
"But nothing actually. You may go, I'll have my people contact you if you get the job."  
  
He gave her a nod as regal as any king, which indicated that that was her cue to leave.  
  
She attempted a winning smile, which he did not return, and allowed herself be ushered from the room by a mutinous looking Matthias, who had been summoned to escort her.  
  
Shooting her dark looks all the way down the hall to the Ministry's fireplace he handed her a sufficient amount of Floo Powder and stalked off, evidently still smarting from the embarrassment of being reprimanded by the Minister.  
  
Throwing the handful into the fire it glowed an emerald green and she stepped into it yelling, " ECHO LANE!"  
  
And promptly vanished. 


	3. Chapter 3: Reflections of A Death Eater

Author's Note and Disclaimer: I don't own them, wish I owned Percy though. The chapters will be flashbacks to Harry's 5th year. The flashback chapters that will come soon after a few of the regular chapters ought to clear up some of the things like Percy's being a Death Eater. Hope I didn't confuse y'all, and if I did, I'm sorry.  
  
  
  
1 A Little Thing Called Ambition  
  
Chapter 3: Reflections of A Death Eater  
  
1.1 By Gila Draper  
  
Percy watched in silence as the girl Vanetta Wood was led away by a sulky Matthias Fudge. He remained staring at the door, after Fudge slammed after Vanetta, a little harder than he needed to, Percy thought.  
  
He'd have to keep an eye on Fudge Jr. The boy was rebellious and hated Percy with a passion which was fueled daily.  
  
And Percy would be damned if he started acting sweet and sappy to Matthias Leo Fudge. The little so-and-so wasn't getting any soft treatment from Percival Weasly.  
  
And then there was that Wood girl, Victoria or Veronica or something like that. She wasn't scared of him (that trembling business had probably been pre-interview jitters). And she seemed to take him seriously enough…but that wasn't the problem, he had his suspicions of someone who wanted to willingly work for an ex-Death Eater.  
  
Sure, he'd had other assistants, but those girls had been jolted to the position without their consent. Sort of like an unwelcome promotion. And he'd cleared those tittering idiots out in about three weeks flat.  
  
Yes, he thought, glancing down at Vanetta's portfolio. This girl would be very interesting. Yes. He'd send her an owl tomorrow.  
  
Suddenly there was a timid knock on the door, which shook Percy from his thoughts.  
  
"Come in."  
  
Daedalus Diggle poked a gray streaked head into the office, grinning madly. While Daedalus was a bit erratic, Percy like him. Diggle had supported his campaign for office even under Percy's…circumstances.  
  
"Guess what?" Diggle asked, though he clearly knew, "what"' and was attempting to keep Percy in suspense.  
  
"I have no earthly idea,'' Percy replied wearily.  
  
This was a game Daedalus played with him, and though Percy was usually unresponsive it seemed to afford Daedalus a great deal of amusement.  
  
Daedalus slouched into the office, leaning on the door as it shut.  
  
"You're going out tonight," Daedalus declared, with the air of someone who has made an irrevocable decision.  
  
"If you've set me up with someone you'll have to face Penny's wrath you know," Percy reminded him.  
  
Several years ago when Percy had first come to the Ministry Daedalus had attempted to fix him up with multiple witches. This wouldn't have been a problem but for two reasons:  
  
Daedalus had absolutely NO taste in women to speak of, (Percy still got shudders from thinking of the Vampire Hunter he'd gone out with!)  
  
And also, Percy had been engaged, and Penelope Clearwater had not been pleased to find her fiancé going out with other witches.  
  
  
  
"I know, I know. I wasn't talking about that anyway," Diggle told him, with an impatient wave of one hand.  
  
  
  
Percy raised one eyebrow skeptically at his impulsive friend and Daedalus gave him a grin that was pure wickedness.  
  
  
  
"We're going to the Leaky Cauldron my friend, and I'm going to teach you the fine art of getting really drunk." 


	4. Chapter 4: Back to the Burrow

Disclaimer and Author's Note: I don't own them, J.K Rowling has that happy privilege. By the way, idiotic fanfiction.net won't let me italicize anything so anything that's supposed to be italicized will be marked by the little star things, like this: *.  
  
Also, this story may not seem to be going anywhere but I needed to do some stage setting. Hope you enjoy.  
  
Lastly, my thanks to Kazza and Futon who are my faithful reviewers, you two have been my sole inspiration to keep this story up. : )  
  
1 A Little Thing Called Ambition  
  
Chapter 4: Back to the Burrow  
  
By Gila Draper  
  
About two uneventful hours (unless you counted when Ludo Bagman accidentally let a Bludger loose in the office) after Daedalus had informed him of this change to his social calendar, Percy Apparated home to the Burrow.  
  
As he appeared with a pop in the kitchen he was blasted, full force, with an explosion of noise that was pure Weasly.  
  
Fred and George were sitting at the cramped kitchen table collaborating over one of those ridiculous exploding something-or-others they sold in their, "Weasly Wizard Wheezes" shop.  
  
"Now you just have to put a Combustion Charm on the jelly beans and set it for forty seconds, it'll be a riot!" Fred was saying, with his and Angelina's three -year old daughter Bethy on his lap. Then his eyes traveled to Percy and he grinned, "Hey Perce."  
  
Percy nodded an acknowledgement to his sibling and continued looking over the kitchen.  
  
Charlie, home from Romania, was showing Ginny the tattoo of the dragon that flew across his shoulder and arm and did loop-the-loops. Of course he did it surreptitiously so as to not catch his mother's eye and risk her fury.  
  
Bill was flopped in a squashy red armchair in the living room cutting out pictures of the witch models from his mother's latest copy of Witch Weekly and Ron was arguing with Hermione.  
  
This of course was nothing new since the two of them had been having "lover's spats" on and off for the past year. Percy had absolutely no objection to this as the happiest couples fought, and he and Penny had been known to face off to each other in huge yelling matches and yet were getting married in a month.  
  
"Really Hermione, I don't see why you still visit Krum after he dumped you," Ron complained.  
  
"Just because Viktor and I aren't seeing each other doesn't mean we're not friends," Hermione informed his stoutly.  
  
"Besides, do I sense a note of jealousy?" Hermione continued mildly, and this shut down her friend's rant immediately.  
  
"Well, no! No, absolutely not!" Ron spluttered, his ears reddening. Score one for Hermione, Percy thought, as with a self-satisfied smile, Hermione rose to help Mrs. Weasly with supper.  
  
Molly Weasly who had been busy making Shepherd's Pie, spotted Percy and bustled over to him.  
  
"Hello there dear, take your cloak off will you?" She smiled cheerily at him and gestured towards the hat rack, which stumped towards him.  
  
"Sure Mum," he replied absently, and let the hat rack to through the motions of helping him with is cloak.  
  
"How does it go, old chap?" George asked, blue-green eyes sparkling with suppressed mirth.  
  
Percy gave him one of the pompous nods he was famous for, like a king greeting a peasant.  
  
"You going to help us set up for Bethy's birthday?" Fred called from his spot at the table, bouncing his giggling, auburn haired daughter on his knee.  
  
Percy winced inwardly, he'd forgotten that his niece's birthday was today.  
  
"Sorry Fred, I'm going to have a couple of drinks with Daedalus Diggle after dinner."  
  
At this remark Mrs. Weasly's eyes instantly became flinty. She remembered when her son had been, "going out to have a couple of drinks," and now he had a Dark Mark as a result. Also, it gave a sense of frustration every mother has with letting her fledglings out of the nest. And just as a matter of dignity, she didn't approve of her children getting intoxicated and despite the fact that Percy was a full grown man, she was hesitant to let him go.  
  
"Are you sure that-" She began, but was cut off by Bill who had meandered into the kitchen.  
  
"Honestly Mum, he's an adult for crying out loud. If he wants to get snockered, let him," Bill said disgustedly.  
  
"Really inspiring sentiment," George grinned, as Mrs. Weasly glared at her eldest son.  
  
"Yeah, that ought to really boost her confidence," Fred added, smothering a laugh.  
  
"What did I say?" Bill asked, clearly confused.  
  
Percy cleared his throat, "the part about getting snockered may not have been the most intelligent thing to say."  
  
Thankfully, Mr. Arthur Weasly took this moment to Apparate into the hall leading to the kitchen for he had been staying late at the office to clean out his file cabinets.  
  
"What wasn't intelligent?" Mr. Weasly asked warily, since his wife seemed to have a dubious expression on her face. She turned and opened her mouth to tell him when Ginny interjected, "letting Percy go pub crawling."  
  
This was the straw that broke the camel's back, and Percy threw up his hands in irritation.  
  
"Honestly, you lot act like I've never had a drink in my life! I'm going, I'll come back by Floo Powder if I have too much to drink and that's that."  
  
And with this he stared around the room, waiting for someone to contradict him so that he could bite their head off. Or maybe bite their collective heads, both sounded appealing at the moment.  
  
However, no one did contradict him and the rest of the family averted their eyes and acted busy.  
  
Several minutes later, thanks to the book, "Fast Feasts In Seconds," by Kareen Kellion, the table was set and was sagging under the weight of platters of Mrs. Weasly's wonderful cooking.  
  
Ever since Percy's outburst the family had been slightly subdued, but then Ron perked up and told them, around a mouth of mashed potatoes, that Harry had owled him with the news that Sirius' wife was having twins.  
  
This was greeted by much applause, and Fred and George looked very pleased, being twins themselves of course.  
  
Charlie got a chiding from his mother about his tattoo which she had found out about, despite his efforts to hide it.  
  
Bill got the whole family to join in a rendition of "Happy Birthday," to Bethy and Fred and George got several laughs for their adlibbing of lyrics.  
  
Percy recalled another dinner like this one, years before. Years that hadn't been so happy for him. It had been the night of his initiation into the ranks of Lord Voldemort's followers…  
  
* Percy felt his palms, cold and clammy beneaththe table cloth. This was the night he took the first step towards greatness. Lucius Malfoy promised him the power he wanted because it was the power alone he was in it for.  
  
He didn't care for the killing and torture was too messy, but the pure raw power, power that was waiting for someone to wield it, someone who understood it.  
  
He had never realized that that was part of being a Death Eater, people never glorified those aspects of it but that was what he was looking for and that was what he was determined to get.*  
  
He shook himself slightly, this was a different night and a different time.  
  
He glanced at his Time Keeper, it was nine-o-clock, he had better go meet Daedalus. He nodded to his mother and prepared to take his leave.  
  
"Happy pub crawling, Perce," Ron called from the far end of the table, earning himself a very dirty look from Percy.  
  
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Fred winked at him.  
  
Percy snorted derisively, "no problem there."  
  
He turned and trotted up to the house and went into the living room and found the flower pot containing the Floo Powder. He peered in, noting that it was down to the bottom of the pot and managed to scrape up and handful.  
  
He tossed it into the fire and watched as it blazed a high emerald green. Stepping forward he called out, "THE LEAKY CAULDRON!"  
  
With a whooshing sound he felt ash swirl around him and he spun through a maze of wizarding fireplaces before he went tumbling out onto the grimy floor of the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
He climbed to his feet, cleaned his glasses, and thumped his robes to clean off the leftover ash and then glanced up to see Daedalus already sitting on a barstool, grinning from ear to ear, and patting the stool next to him.  
  
Percy smiled, he couldn't help it, Daedalus' joyful personality was infectious, and he walked over and slid onto the offered seat. He swiveled to look at Tom the bartender.  
  
"What'll it be tonight Minister?"  
  
Percy considered, he'd been in a particularly morbid mood as of late since tonight would mark the gloomy anniversary of his Burning Ritual, the night he'd had the Dark Mark burned onto him, the night of the beginning of the end.  
  
"Tom, give me the strongest thing you've got." 


	5. Chapter 5: A Mother's Worries

Disclaimer and Author's Note: Don't own them and that's that. I am very proud of this chapter and I wrote it in one night to boot. Hope you like it Kazza and Futon.  
  
A Little Thing Called Ambition  
  
1 Chapter 5: A Mother's Worries  
  
Her children were safely in bed, her husband upstairs reading in their bedroom and she was alone in the kitchen with the freshly washed dishes.  
  
Almost all of her children were safely in bed actually. It was eleven-o- clock and her third oldest child was out in a pub with one of his friends.  
  
She shouldn't worry, she reminded herself as she wrung a dishcloth in her hands. Percy was the most levelheaded child out of all seven of them but she couldn't help but recall that those had been her exact thoughts before she'd found out what he'd done.  
  
It had been the most horrible thing she'd ever experienced, it was like when Tom Riddle took Ginny into the Chamber of Secrets.  
  
She and Arthur stood anxiously before Albus Dumbledore. He had sent them an urgent owl, saying that he had Percy at Hogwarts.  
  
Molly had been scared stiff when her son had disappeared during the sudden rise of the Dark Lord and his supporters. She assumed that he was dead, killed as yet another victim of this dreadful war.  
  
She'd been flooded with relief when the Headmaster had contacted her, not taking note of the neutral tone of his writing. Not giving away HOW he had found Percy.  
  
Now that Voldemort had been killed by Harry, and his followers rounded up by the Aurors she had no fear in traveling by her husband's newly charmed car that the Harry had gotten him for his birthday.  
  
She had practically run up the steps to Dumbledore's office but found the old man standing before the door looking grave.  
  
"Where is he?! Is he hurt?" She asked, brown eyes wide and pleading.  
  
Blue eyes stared back at her and the bearded man answered quietly, "He's in my office, he's hurt, but it isn't physical."  
  
She surged towards the door in a frenzy to get at her baby who was no longer a baby but Dumbledore held up a hand to stop her.  
  
"Molly, you don't understand the situation, you really need to listen to me!"  
  
Arthur looked torn but attempted to hold her back. She broke loose snapping at the most powerful wizard in the world, "my son is hurt and that's all I need to know."  
  
She burst into the room, spotted Percy, and froze in horror.  
  
He was clad in billowing, black Death Eater's robes, too big for him. His blue eyes were intense behind his glasses and there were large dark shadows beneath his eyes. He gazed at her in a way that was so haunting it brought chills to her.  
  
Her baby was a Death Eater, a murder, and a Dark wizard.  
  
Behind her Arthur started, staring at his offspring then turned halfway around and asked hoarsely, "What happened?"  
  
Dumbledore sighed and Percy looked away to Fawkes's cage.  
  
"To err is human I'm afraid," Dumbledore murmured.  
  
"Is that all you can say?! My son becomes a bloody murderer and you call that some little error?" Arthur raged, eyes ablaze with fury.  
  
"Before you pass judgment I think you should hear what your son has to say, Mr. Weasly," the Headmaster said quietly.  
  
"There's nothing to hear," Arthur declared with cold finality and turned and walked from the room, his steps short and angry.  
  
Molly however, stayed, and looked in disbelief from her son clad in morbid black to the old wizard standing next to her in plush velvet robes of deep blue.  
  
She felt the bearded old man put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gently propel her into the room and he silently stepped into the background.  
  
Percy looked away from the confined phoenix and met her eyes with a look of genuine regret and utter humiliation, "Mum, I'm so sorry." He bowed his head miserably.  
  
He had killed, tortured, and associated with the worst of their kind and after all that he was apologizing to his mother.  
  
Maternal instinct overrode her disgust, and she bent to embrace her son but he flinched away. He looked up at her, blue eyes now icy and unreadable. Molly was shocked by the abrupt change in attitude and looked imploringly at Dumbledore.  
  
Dumbledore cleared his throat, "because of his time with the Death Eaters Percy will be spending at least a year in the psychiatric ward of St. Mungos."  
  
Molly nodded numbly. There was nothing she could do for her child but at least someone could help him.  
  
When it appeared that Percy was not going to say a word or respond to any of his mother's displays of affection Dumbledore dismissed him to the empty Gryffindor dormitories, parents had already removed their children since Voldemort had taken the castle under siege before he was defeated.  
  
When he had left the room Molly looked at the man, her eyes brimming with tears and she began sobbing.  
  
"H-how could this happen? He was always such a g-good sensible boy?" She wept brokenly, finally, and for the first time realizing the full impact of what had happened.  
  
Dumbledore led her to a chair opposite her desk and sat next to her and began to speak.  
  
"From what I gathered from Percy, he joined two years ago, at the beginning of Mr. Harry Potter's fifth year."  
  
Molly felt shock sink in through her tears. Percy had been a Death Eater for two whole years and she never even had the slightest inkling of it? What kind of mother WAS she?  
  
"Why would he ever want to join them?" She asked, putting disgusted emphasis on the word, "them".  
  
Dumbledore shrugged wearily and replied, "he froze up and stopped talking when he got to that but I don't think it was for the killing, he didn't sound as though he enjoyed that aspect of it much."  
  
Well that was a small comfort, she thought. At least her son wasn't a deranged mad-ax murderer.  
  
She took in a great shuddering breath and clutched tightly at her tattered brown leather purse.  
  
"I had better go tell the family then. They have a right to know."  
  
Dumbledore shook his head, "Ron and Ginny already know."  
  
How could they know? Percy didn't even go to school with them anymore. But the silver haired man answered her silent question.  
  
"It seems that Percy was dispatched by Lord Voldemort to be part of a group that was to take the school under control by force. Some of the students said that Lucius Malfoy was taking groups of students into the dungeons to be slaughtered so there would be no witnesses and he ordered Percy to take Ron and Ginny."  
  
Molly gaped at him in horror but he continued on, "the survivors say that he grabbed both of them, started walking them down there, and stopped. Then he very clearly told Lucius 'no'. He said that he liked the thrill of killing as much as the next Death Eater but that he would be damned if he would kill his siblings. "  
  
A faint smile of pride appeared under the gray whiskers and he concluded, "and then, as Dean Thomas so eloquently put it, 'he hexed the robes off of the slimy git and killed him'."  
  
Molly didn't quite know what to make of this. While she was proud of her son for protecting his brother and sister, but he'd tortured and killed a man to do it. A coolly sensible part of her brain told her that Malfoy deserved what he got and she decided to agree with it.  
  
"Still, the rest of them should know," she insisted and he nodded in agreement, " a family shouldn't keep secrets, you're right."  
  
But how would she break it to them?  
  
All too soon she found herself back home at the Burrow, Arthur refused to come home saying that the fellows at the office were having trouble with the lawsuits on the Death Eaters and that he would be home later.  
  
She appeared on her front step with a crack and stared at the small red front door then braved herself up and walked in.  
  
Bill was the first to greet her and walked up and put his arm around her, blue-gray eyes worried.  
  
"Is Percy alright Mum?"  
  
Ron and Ginny sat on the sagging green couch their faces solemn and knowing but they didn't say anything.  
  
Charlie stepped in from the kitchen, hair and clothes rumpled as though he'd been up all night and asked anxiously, "he isn't hurt is he?"  
  
Fred and George stampeded down the twisty staircase, their faces were so pale so that their freckles stood out and were unable to say anything but their expressions spoke volumes.  
  
Molly gazed at her children and told them to go sit down in the living room, "they were about to have a bit of a shock".  
  
At this, Fred choked out, "he can't be dead!"  
  
"No", she assured him, "Percy isn't dead but I just learned some very shocking news".  
  
She shepherded her flock into the den and sat them down on assorted chairs and sofas and then stared into space before beginning.  
  
"I found out from Albus Dumbledore fifteen minutes ago that your brother was-"  
  
She cut off and began again, chiding herself for seeming melodramatic.  
  
"Your brother was a Death Eater."  
  
This statement caused an abrupt start of total chaos with surprised cries and angry yells and whispers of disbelief.  
  
"WHAT?!" George yelled looking particularly wrathful, "THAT'S RUDDY IMPOSSIBLE!"  
  
"No," Ginny told him. She explained what she and Ron witnessed and George sank back in his armchair.  
  
"How could Percy, of all people, be a Death Eater?" Bill inquired weakly.  
  
Molly sighed, "I don't know dear, but somehow it happened."  
  
Charlie shook his head, flaming locks falling into his peripheral vision as he muttered bitterly, "Always was the ambitious one, Percy."  
  
Shaking herself out of the past, Molly stood up, trying to subdue the cruel memories. Now three years after the fact, three years too late, she realized that he had been breeding ground for the Dark Lord, ambitious, intelligent, aspiring, and willing to do almost anything for power.  
  
And evidently not punctual either, for she glanced at the clock, it was now eleven thirty. "I'll be home at ten forty-five, my arse," she muttered, in the way only a vengeful mother can.  
  
She put down the dishtowel that she had been threatening to strangle and got up.  
  
Ex-Death Eater or no, Minister of Magic or no, he was going to get a piece of her mind when he got home. 


	6. Chapter 6: The Fine Art of Drinking

Author's Note and Disclaimer: Don't own anyone or anything and I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long.  
  
Chapter 6: The Fine Art of Drinking  
  
Percy watched in silent amusement as Daedalus swayed in the center of the pub belting out the lyrics to a very bawdy song.  
  
He took a sip from his shot glass filled with Odgen's Old Firewhiskey, grimacing as it ripped a trail into his gullet. It was his fifth glass and he kept a hand on the bar to steady himself. Even though he was more than slightly tipsy he was not about to go and make a fool of himself like his friend.  
  
While Daedalus lost all common sense, or what little common sense he had to begin with, when he was drunk, Percy became subdued and melancholy or depressed, depending on his mood.  
  
He glanced around the pub, the normal evening crowd had dispersed, leaving the hard-core drinkers.  
  
There were several groups of people passed out in the corners and then Daedalus' fans who were staggering around him as he sang, bracing himself on a chair. He had spotted Hagrid weaving his way to a back room with a long necked bottle of something in his hand. There was also a dark figure in the corner of someone he didn't recognize at the moment.  
  
He blinked once, then twice as the grimy pub wove in and out of focus. Shaking his head he drained his glass and set it down with a loud clink.  
  
As he pushed his glass over to Tom for a refill he heard the shadowy figure in the corner noisily detach it's self from the corner and amble over to the bar.  
  
With much difficulty Severus Snape slid onto the stool next to Percy with a swish of black robes. He sank his rubbed the bridge of his hooked nose, muttering to Tom an order for a glass of wine. Then as he raised his head, slightly bleary black eyes focused on Percy and he managed a sneer.  
  
"Fancy seeing you here Minister," he drawled.  
  
"Stow it Severus," Percy said tiredly, taking a gulp from the refill Tom had given him.  
  
"Fine Percy," Snape snapped, putting insolent emphasis on Percy's given name.  
  
Since when had he been on first name basis with Severus Snape? He could barely remember. Then again it might be the alcohol, the thought.  
  
Probably since the beginning, before Mum had come. Directly after Dumbledore had found out what he'd done. A memory surfaced, surprisingly clear for the amount of Whisky that was in his system.  
  
It was Snape, talking to Dumbledore outside the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
"You may leave Severus,' Dumbledore told the younger man wearily.  
  
He could tell Snape was lingering though, and to prove his point he heard the Potion's Master inquire, "but why is Percy Weasly still here Headmaster? That mother of his seemed to be one of the people who would be the first to pull her children out."  
  
He heard Dumbledore clear his throat, "Percy is hear under special circumstances, ones that you would do well to sympathize with."  
  
It seemed though that Snape had not caught on and he interjected, "it is my experience sir, that no person at Hogwarts should be given special treatment."  
  
"It is MY experience that that only applies to students and faculty, not alumni," Dumbledore said firmly.  
  
There was a moment of silence during which Dumbledore and Snape seemed to be having some sort of quiet exchange that was blocked by the empty portrait of the Fat Lady.  
  
It was quite some time before Percy heard Snape speak again.  
  
"Headmaster, you can't ask that!" Snape protested, "I don't do well with children!"  
  
Dumbledore had lost his patience and said pointedly, "then you shouldn't have become a teacher."  
  
Percy heard Dumbledore's retreating footsteps and they were the only sound for at least fifteen minutes and then he heard Snape bark at the Fat Lady who had only just returned, "can't you ever be damn punctual?  
  
"What's the password, " the Fat Lady sniffed, in a manner clearly intended for making him aware that she had been wronged.  
  
"Grindylow snot," Snape hissed at her. "You bloody Gryffindors have the most idiotic passwords."  
  
"I beg your pardon!" She exclaimed as she swung forward.  
  
"You can beg all you damn well want," Snape told her rudely.  
  
The Portrait Hole was now clear and Snape was in plain view, billowing robes and all. Awkwardly he climbed through the Hole and spied Percy sitting stiffly in an armchair and prowled over to him, sitting in the opposite chair.  
  
Snape looked Percy over, still leering, and then held out his arm. "Show it to me," he ordered.  
  
That took Percy completely off guard and he asked confusedly, "show you what?"  
  
"The Dark Mark," Snape replied as if it was the most reasonable request in the world.  
  
At this Percy recoiled, " NO YOU MAY NOT!" He felt highly affronted.  
  
Snape was not fazed by this show of anger and folded his arms across his chest, "how else am I supposed to believe you're a Death Eater?"  
  
Percy glared at him, the prick just had to request the most humiliating thing in the world, "didn't the Death Eater robes tip you off," he asked disgustedly, plucking at his clothes, " or maybe the Death Eater mask," he held up the silver mask for inspection, "or maybe the fact that, I don't know, I'm a Death Eater!"  
  
Snape looked at him as though he was the greatest prat on the face of the earth.  
  
"You fool boy, anyone can wear a mask or robes and claim that they're a Death Eater, why anyone would want to is beyond me though."  
  
Percy glared at him, "what'll you do if I show you my Dark Mark?"  
  
Snape sat there in silence, seeming to have an inner struggle and then said softly, " I'll show you mine."  
  
Percy started, he had never known that Snape was a Death Eater, the younger recruits often attended different meetings than the older members and Voldemort did not usually give the names of the those in his inner circle to anyone, much less an inexperienced boy.  
  
Percy slowly raised his sleeve, bearing the initiation tattoo. After Voldemort had been destroyed a horrible pain had torn through his arm, leaving the Dark Mark perpetually black, like a Muggle tattoo.  
  
Snape leaned forward with mild interest, "yours stayed black as well?" He pulled back his sleeve hesitantly, bearing the same ugly symbol, which was just as dark as Percy's.  
  
Percy nodded. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Snape glanced in his direction surreptitiously.  
  
"What ranks were you in?"  
  
"Trainee and guard. I took shifts for watching captured Aurors."  
  
Snape nodded pensively and Percy succumbed to his curiosity and said, "what were you?"  
  
He noticed the older man flinch and reply quietly, "assassin."  
  
It suddenly occurred to Percy how odd it was sitting here having this conversation with the most feared teacher at Hogwarts and he nearly laughed at the strangeness of it.  
  
Percy was jolted to reality when Daedalus staggered up and gave him and Severus and overly amiable smack on the back. Wincing he thought it was a good thing for Daedalus that Severus was drunk because it was never a good idea to even TOUCH a sober Snape much less smack him.  
  
"Jolly good fun, eh Perce?" Daedalus slurred, "couldn't have this kind of fun at home now could you?"  
  
Home…Oh no! What time was it?  
  
Percy frantically strained his eyes at the clock and groaned, "eleven forty- five. Mum's going to kill me."  
  
With this in mind he made his way to the fireplace (with a good deal of help clinging to furniture) and, throwing in some Floo Powder, pitched forward into the flames hearing Daedalus' distant, "all right then, I suppose I'll see you later."  
  
Whirling through flames he was dumped unceremoniously on to the carpet at home. With the room spinning he somehow managed to get to his feet.  
  
Good, he didn't see his mother anywhere. He'd just make his way on upstairs to bed and no one would be any the wiser. Starting to make his uncertain way upstairs he was suddenly stopped upon hearing:  
  
"PERCIVAL ANTHONY WEASLY YOU STOP RIGHT THERE!"  
  
Oh no… 


	7. Chapter 7: A Lukewarm Welcome

Disclaimer and Author's Note: Don't own them except for Bethy and Vanetta. This chapter is a bit short but, hey, such is life.  
  
To Lala, yes he is living with his family. He's getting married in a month and is too busy working to go searching for an apartment. Besides, he and Penny will move out when they get married so that they can act like newlywed lovebirds etc.  
  
So without further ado…  
  
Chapter 7: A Lukewarm Welcome  
  
Mrs. Weasly had shrieked and ranted and raved about destroyed family honor and how she NEVER raised her children to be so irresponsible.  
  
While Percy would feel normally irritated that she was lecturing a grown adult he was too busy feeling sick as a dog. This was the last time he let Daedalus talk him into ANYTHING.  
  
While his mother continued on her verbal rampage he felt that this was all the more reason he and Penelope really needed to get married soon and move out. As it was, it seemed that their winter wedding was too far away, even if the time span was a month.  
  
When her scolding reached a crescendo Percy groaned inwardly, leaning on the banister. His mother had never been this overprotective of Bill or Charlie, or even Fred and George. He deeply suspected that his mother's ability to treat him like a respectable adult had gone down the drain after the Death Eater incident, not that be blamed her, but it was still irritating.  
  
Finally, when Mrs. Weasly ran of words and breath she pointed to the stairs with a rigid forefinger and scowled darkly at him. He was greatly relieved about this since he didn't exactly feel completely up to par.  
  
As he made his way up the stairs with great difficulty he heard his mother below him muttering mutinously. He shook her off when he lurched into his room and crashed on the bed. Taking off his glasses and groping for the nightstand he groaned and after a few peaceful moments he moaned and bolted off to the bathroom, hand over his mouth.  
  
As Mrs. Weasly climbed into bed next to her husband, who grunted and turned over, she heard noise below her. It was, unsurprisingly, Percy being violently sick. She sniffed and sunk down under the blankets, it served him right if he chose to get drunk and come home at odd hours of the night.  
  
Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and feeling thoroughly miserable by this point, Percy felt that he was REALLY not looking forward to work at all tomorrow.  
  
And unfortunately he couldn't skive off it, as he was up to his shoulders in work.  
  
He had set aside a conference with the school governors over Dumbledore's questionable staff…it seemed that the old man had hired a centaur for the new Astronomy teacher (Sinistra had retired) and the governors were having a fit over it. Also he had a bit of paperwork due to complaints from the Vampire Guild about a Vampire Slayer who had attended one of their balls and caused a massacre. And just to top it all of, there was a that acceptance letter to the Wood girl he had to owl.  
  
Ducking his head as he succumbed to another wave of nausea he decided that he was going to be late tomorrow, despite the loads of work he had pinned to him.  
  
He knew though, that he probably would have to owl in a note telling of his lateness. But he'd do that when he felt better, which, by the way things were going, wouldn't be for quite some time… 


	8. Chapter 8: Lovely Morning Hangovers

Disclaimer and Author's Note: I don't own anyone, J.K Rowling does. I am TRULY SORRY for not writing in ages. I really am. I became very caught up in my Peter Pan musical and final exams. But now I'm off on summer break and I can write up a storm for the lot of you! I have one full month to continue the adventures of Vanetta Wood and Percy Weasly. So, without further ado…  
  
1 Chapter 8: Lovely Morning Hangovers  
  
To say that Percy Weasly did not feel well would be a gross understatement.  
  
He groaned miserably, rolling onto his back. His head throbbed as though he had been severely pounded by Bludgers. Unfortunately, this was the Weasly house, the busiest, loudest house on the face of the earth. And things were very unfortunate for anybody who chanced to have a headache.  
  
He opened his eyes and was hit square in the face by a massive amount of sunlight. He waved his hand shakily in front of his face as if to brush away the offending sunbeams.  
  
After several moments of adjusting to his hangover, he painfully sat up and groped for his spectacles. Putting them on, he squinted through his sleep induced haze at the Time-Keeper on his nightstand.  
  
It was twelve o' clock. Work started at eight o' clock. This meant that he was late. Damn.  
  
"Hermes," he yelled, voice coming out a croak. There was no response. Fred and George had better not have borrowed Hermes at this extremely inopportune time!  
  
"Hermes, get over here you little feathered git!" He yelled, this time louder.  
  
There was a flapping of wings and his tawny colored owl swooped in through the skylight in Percy's bathroom. Hermes ruffled his feathers in a highly offended manner.  
  
"Yeah well, if you'd come the first time we wouldn't have this problem," Percy complained to the bird, as he swung his long legs over the side of the bed.  
  
His room rotated queasily before settling into place and massaged the bridge of his nose unhappily. He knew there was a reason that he didn't drink often. And this was it.  
  
Shoving himself off of the bed, Percy stumbled over to his desk, shoving his paperwork to one side. He rummaged in the desk's rough wooden depths before finding some spare parchment and a quill. Now for that letter to the Wood girl…  
  
Dear Ms. Wood,  
  
I, the Minister of Magic, have the pleasure of informing you that you have been accepted to the post of Secretary and Personal Assistant to the Minister of Magic. I request that you begin your duties upon receiving this letter. Your office hours shall be from eight in the morning till ten in the evening including a lunch break, which you will take with the rest of our staff. I thank you and enclose your Ministry ID.  
  
Sincerely, Percy Weasly  
  
There, he thought, signing his name with a flourish. That ought to do the trick. Carefully folding up the bit of parchment, he placed it in an envelope and thrust it in Hermes general direction.  
  
"There, take it you bloody owl," he groused, receiving no response on Hermes part.  
  
"Go on then, take it, do you WANT me to be sick all over you and the letter?" He scowled. While he actually wasn't feeling too nauseous, he knew that was bound the get Hermes' attention. And, as he had predicted, the letter was snatched from his hand and was gone in a flurry of feathers.  
  
Percy rubbed his face with one hand and staggered over to his closed, yanking out dark blue robe with black trimmings and tossing it on the bed.  
  
He also snagged a vial of Inebriated Elixir from a box on his closet floor, yanked the cork out of it, and drank it down in one gulp.  
  
The effects of the potion washed over him and he found to his joy that his headache lessened and his room stopped spinning at random intervals.  
  
He tossed the empty vial into the box, feeling very pleased with himself. When he had found out, through trial and error, that his mother had no sympathy with hangovers, he had compiled a large boxful of Inebriated Elixir for such occasions when he had been drinking.  
  
Percy grabbed the dark blue robes from his bed and went into his bathroom to clean up and get dressed.  
  
God Inebriated Elixirs were wonderful things, he thought fervently, as he began to shave, with absolutely no problems from his previously rotating room.  
  
Two hours later he had shaved, showered, and dressed and was heading downstairs when he was hit upside the head by Hermes, who had apparently returned.  
  
Percy swore, loudly and with feeling, rubbing the back of his head. He glared at the owl, who, oblivious to everything, landed on the banister and began to preen.  
  
"Percy, is everything all right dear?" Mrs. Weasly called up from the kitchen.  
  
"Fine Mum," Percy yelled back, shooting Hermes another dirty look.  
  
"Are you going to take breakfast?" Mrs. Weasly pursued.  
  
"No, I'm already late for the office as it is," he replied, lapsing into the pompous tone he was well known for.  
  
He trotted down the rest of the stairs, giving his owl a wide berth and swinging into the living room to get some Floo Powder.  
  
"His mother appeared in the doorway to the living room, wiping her hands on her apron and looking imploringly at him.  
  
  
  
I've got a meeting with the School Governors and the Vampire Guild Mum," he said, heading her off before she could insist that he stay for breakfast.  
  
She sighed, wiping flour off of her wand, "I understand. I expect to see you at dinner then?"  
  
"Of course," he assured her. There was no way in heaven that he was going out drinking with ANYBODY, much less Daedalus, again.  
  
"Good," Mrs. Weasly smiled, brown eyes crinkling slightly.  
  
When his mother was pleased all was good in the world, Percy thought sardonically, taking a handful of Floo Powder from the flowerpot on the mantle.  
  
"TO THE MINISTRY!" He called out, throwing the powder onto the roaring flames, which rose even higher and turned green.  
  
He stepped forward into the fire, feeling the telltale cool breeze around him, and was tugged forward through the Floo Network.  
  
Finally, he found himself tumbling, roughly, through his grate at the Ministry and cracking his head, rather painfully, on his desk.  
  
Right then, he thought, as he his headache returned tenfold, lets get to work. 


End file.
